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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : A wave of South Koreans flocked to polling stations for early voting in the nation's presidential election, setting a new record and signaling intense public interest in a tightly contested race. Over two days, Friday and Saturday, an unprecedented 36.9% of the country's 44 million eligible voters cast their ballots ahead of the main election day scheduled for March 9th. This figure marks the highest early voting turnout since the system was introduced in South Korea in 2013.

The election was shaping up to be a close battle primarily between Lee Jae-myung of the incumbent Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol representing the main opposition People Power Party. Analysts pointed to several factors driving the record early participation. The sheer convenience of casting ballots ahead of the main polling day appealed to many. Furthermore, ongoing concerns over the rampant Omicron variant of COVID-19 at the time likely spurred many to avoid potential crowds on the official election day. The high stakes of the election, with polls indicating a neck-and-neck contest, also fueled voter enthusiasm.

Historically, high early voting numbers have sometimes been interpreted as favorable for the more liberal Democratic Party, often attributed to their perceived stronger organizational capacity for mobilizing early voters. However, with polls at the time showing Yoon Suk-yeol holding a slim lead, the ultimate impact of this record early turnout remained a key point of speculation as the nation approached March 9th.

Authorities also implemented special measures to ensure citizens affected by COVID-19 could exercise their right to vote. Those infected with the virus or in quarantine were permitted to vote during designated, limited hours after regular polling stations had closed for other voters.

This remarkable early voting turnout underscored the high stakes and public interest in an election poised to shape South Korea's future direction.


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